Anisopanoramic roller



United States Patent [72] Inventor Domenico Mortellito [56] ReferencesCit d Wilmington Delaware UNITED STATES PATENTS 9 33 330,619 11/1885Reed 15/211 e t d f 1970 502,2156 4/1898 Peck l5/23 0.l6X [4 1 e1,216,666 2/1917 Dorsch.... 15/213ux [73] Ass1gnee E. I. du Pont deNemours and Company 1 304 5/1918 Adams 5/230 16 33:23 1,320,513 11/1919Volckening. 15/213ux p 2,469,3 5 5/1949 Totiet al. 15/186 3 FOREIGNPATENTS I 890/31 1/1932 Australia 15/230.1l 1,090,335 10/1954 France128/57 906,911 3/1954 Germany 152/3011 ANISOPANORAMICBOLLER 553,5225/1943 Great Britain... 118/102 2Cl m D g g 573,940 12/1945 GreatBritain l5/210.5 [52] U.S. Cl 118/102, Primary Examiner Daniel Blum l/21 15/230. Attorney-Frank R. Ortolani 51 1m.c1 844d 5/06, 844d 3/28[50] Field of Search 118/102; ABSTRACT: A roller apparatus useful increating artistic effects in polytitanate paints, ceramics, plaster orthe like, comprising a support means bearing a rotatable hub having atleast one flexible elastic fin, edge-mounted thereon.

Patented Oct. 27, 197% sheet FIG.

INVENTOR DOMENICO MORTELLITO BY (2M. W

ATTORNEY ANISOPANORAMIC ROLLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Anapplication filed by Brill, Gulledge, and Ramsay, Feb. 15, I966,Ser.No.527,443, now US. Pat. No. 3,483,068, issued Dec. 9, 1969, disclosespaints having fibrous pigments of the formula M2Ti,,0 where M ispotassium or sodium and n is an integer from 3 to 60. These polytitanatefibrous pigments can be oriented on application or shortly afterwards toproduce an anisopanoramic light scattering effect. This effect gives theillusion of depth and texture on smooth surfaces. The creation ofpatterns in these paints for instance on walls and wall coveringsrequires a certain degree of artistic talent. It is desirable,therefore, to have a means of creating these patterns such that one notpossessing a high degree of artistic talent can easily create suchpatterns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a roller apparatussuitable for creating artistic effects in polytitanate paints, ceramics,plaster or the like. The apparatus comprises a support means bearing arotatable hub. The hub has the edge of at least one flexibly elastic finmounted upon it. The fin is mounted normal to the axis of rotation ofthe hub and at such an angle that a fin surface essentially parallel tothe axis of rotation is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the drawings.

FIG. I is a perspective view of the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a front view of one embodiment of the apparatus useful forapplication in corners and the like.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a photograph of one pattern made with a model of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a cross section view of an enlarged portion of a fin showingone possible configuration of the ribs on a fin.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a handle 1 is attached to a supportrod 2 which in trun provides a pivoted support for a rotatably mountedhub 3. Flexibly elastic fins 4 are fixed upon the surface of hub 3 in acantilevered fashion.

The hub may be of any convenient shape such as circular, hexagonal,octagonal, eliptical, or the like and may vary over a wide range ofdimensions depending on the effect desired, and the convenience ofhandling. Where a flat surface is being decorated, a hub of cylindricalshape is preferred. For decorating along edges and corners a hub havinga varying diameter with an apex in the center and decreasing in diametertoward the ends of the roller is used. This embodiment is shown in FIGS.3 and 4. The rate of decrease of the diameter would depend on theparticular angle of the corner or joint on which the apparatus is to beused. The hub may be constructed of any material such as metal, plastic,paper, wood,

rubber, wire, or other material sufficiently rigid to support flexiblyelastic fins 4.

The patterns created are a result of pressure and adhesion of the finsrather than simply pressure as in prior art rollers. The withdrawal ofthe fin from the wet coating leaves an imprint produced by an adhesivepressure which tends to orient the fibers in the polytitanate paints.The fins must, therefore, be flexible and elastic. They must be rigidenough to regain their original position in the manner of a leaf springand yet flexible enough to resist breaking and cracking. Any materialsatisfying these conditions may be used such as plastic, rubber, coatedfabric, coated paper or the like.

The shape and number of fins is dependent on the effect desired. Theremay be one or a multiplicity of fins spaced evenly, at regularintervals, or randomly around the circumference of the hub. They may besolid, loops of plastic or wire, ribbed in any manner, contain cut-outsections, or any such devices as to produce a iven effect.

The fins may be attac ed In a cantilever fashion or on two or moreedges. The edges should be at such an angle that the fin surface will beessentially parallel to the axis of rotation 5 when the fin comes incontact with the surface to be decorated. The fins may be as large as isconvenient for easy handling or as small as desired. 1

Although the invention is primarily for polytitanate paints, it isapparent that it may be used in ceramics, plaster, or any such mediumwhich is tacky enough to preserve the imprinted patterns.

Many equivalent modifications will become apparent to those skilled inthe art from a reading of the above without a departure from theinventive concept.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for applying paint and other decorative coatings to asurface with flat portion of a fin in an artistic, anisopanoramic designcomprising a support means bearing a generally cylindrical rotable hubhaving its axis as the axis of rotation of the hub within the supportmeans, the hub having mounted thereon a flat, flexible, elastic fin, thefin being attached to the generally cylindrical hub with one edge of thefin at the surface of the hub and the flat portion of the finessentially parallel to the axis of rotation'of the hub wherein thediameter of the generally cylindrical rotable hub varies along the axisof rotation with fins along the entire length of the hub so that thesurface of the hub generally conforms to the shape of the surface to becoated.

2. An apparatus for applying paint and other decorative coatings to asurface with the fiat portion of a fin comprising a support meansbearing a generally cylindrical rotatable hub having its axis as theaxis of rotation of the hub within the support means, the hub varying indiameter along the axis of rotation with the maximum diameter of the hubnear the middle and the minimum diameter near the end of the hub, thehub having mounted thereon flat, flexible elastic fins, the fins beingattached along the generally cylindrical hub with one edge of the fin atthe surface of the hub and the flat portion of the fin essentiallyparallel to the axis of rotation of the hub.

